Improvement in baling-presses



5Sheets--Sheet1. CHARLES H. SCHNELLE.

Improvement in Eating-Presses. N0. 126,415. Patented May 7,1872.

m fi mL/4 5 Sheets--Sheet 2.

CHARLES H. SCHNELLE.

Improvement in Baling-Presses. No, 12 ,415 2 PatentedMay7,I872.

5' Sheets--Sheet 4.

CHARLES H. SCHNELLE.

Improvement in Baling-Presses. 126,415.

Patented May 7,1872.

illl fl IHHHHI Ill] IHHHHHHHI AM. FHOTULITHOGRAFHIO 60. N. X JSBOR/VE'SPRIJCISS) 5Sheets--Sheet5.

CHARLES H. SCHNELLE.

Improvement in Belling-Presses. No. 126,415. PatentedMay7,1872.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT lN BALlNG-PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 126,415, dated May 7,1872.

I, GHARLEs H. SoHNELLE, of St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis andState of Missouri, have invented certain Improvements in Bale- Presses,of which the following is a specification:

Nature and Object of the Invention.

My invention relates to those bale-presses Where the force is appliedthrough the medium of levers operating like toggle-bars to the underside of the object, and bears upward against a platform or follower. Thefirst part of my invention relates to the mode of moving and adjustingsaid levers by means of a pinion placed in the center of the bed of theapparatus, acting upon two racks, one on each side, and moving them inopposite directions, horizontally, and in a line with the longitudinaldirection of said bed. These racks are fixed upon stifieningtimbers andguided'by rollers and ways, and on the inner side of the outer end ofeach is firmly bolted a truck or wheeled shoe, which runs in a waytraversing the middle line of the bed. The outer or lower ends of thelevers are stepped into these shoes. Upon applying the power to theabove-named pinion, the racks are moved in opposite directions and thelevers so moved as to raise or depress the inner or upper ends at will,always. moving simultaneously in the same perpendicular plane. Thesecond part of my invention relates to the employment of an uprightpiston bar or standard, provided with an adjustable collar for holdingit at any height, and the upper end of which is inserted in the centerofthe head-block, between the heads of said levers, the lower endpassing through the said pinion and the center of said bed and being ofsuch length that when the levers are raised to their extreme height thelower end of the piston-bar shall not escape from the pinion. By thisarrangement the piston-bar will always hold the head-block in itshorizontal position and prevent the derangement that would otherwiseattend any impediment to the equal pressure of the levers. The thirdpart of my invention relates to the mode of supporting thereceiving-box, platforms, and other parts of the apparatus for holdingthe material while the pressure is applied. This part of the apparatusis supported upon four standards resting upon and fastened to thefoundation forming the corners of a parallelogram, fastened together atthe top, upon which the frame of this part of the apparatus is sofastened as to be moved up and down to suit convenience, and held inplace by the fourth part of my invention, which consists in the movablecollars placed upon said four standards, arranged with setscrews, bywhich said receiving-box and its appliances are adjusted and held inposition. An adjustable collar is also placed upon said piston-bar, bywhich the extent of its downward movement is regulated. The fifth partof my invention relates to the mode of constructin g and swinging thedoors which inclose the upper section of the receiving-box or spacebetween the upper and lower followers, which contains the bale when thepressing is completed. One of the advantages of this part of myinvention is that when the pressure is completed and the bale ready fortying all sides of the section maybe opened at once and the effect ofthe unequal springing of the bale avoided; also, the bale is thusexposed on all sides to the workmen in tying or moving it. Thesixthqpart of my invention relates to the mode of constructing thereceiving-box and its frame, which are so made that they may be takenapart and removed from the standards, leaving the press in condition tooperate upon materials not requiring a receiving-box.

Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure 1 represents a front view of the press. Fig. 2 represents ahorizontal section of the press on a line with the top of the shoes.Fig. 3 represents an end view. Fig. 4. represents a longitudinalvertical section with the levers partly elevated. Fig. 5 represents alongitudinal vertical section with the levers fully elevated and thebale in place and fastened.

A is the bed of the press, upon which the racks and trucks areconstructed, and which is supported upon B B, which are crossbeamssupporting A, through which I pass and secure the upright standards D DD D. C G are sills upon which the cross-beams B B rest. I place them sofar out as to expose the nuts or other devices by which I fasten to thesaid cross-beams the lower ends of the standards. D D D D are fourupright standards made fast to the foundation at points forming the fourcorners of a parallelogram iuclosing a space, and said standards beingof alength suflicient to permit the operations of the apparatusconstructed to work upon them and within the said space, as hereinafterdescribed. These standards should be iron bars capable of supporting theweight of said apparatus and taking the tensile strain of the pressingpower. They should be so formed as to permit the apparatus comprisingthe receiving-box and its frame and appurtenances to be moved up anddown dpon them and lixed at any desired position. E E E E are thelongitudinal timbers of the frame of the receiving-box, which isconstructed within them. The standards D D D D pass through these, orare in some other way coupled to them, so as to permit their beingraised or lowered thereon. E E E E are the end timbers of said frame,and so coupled by bolts and screws or other means to the last-namedtimbers that said frame may be readily taken apart, and, with thereceiving-box F, be removed from said standards. F is the receiving box,constructed within and upon said frame, in which the material to bepressed is deposited. This is constructed in the usual manner, carebeing taken that the inner surface presents no obstacle to the freemovement of the material and the follower as it is pressed upward. G Gare doors hung at one end upon said standards, at corners opposite toeach other, and directly over and in line with the sides of box F.These, with the end pieces H B, when closed, and the upper and lowerfollowers J and K, form an upper or bale section of the receiving-box,which contains the material when pressed ready to be tied into a bale. HH are movable end pieces, suitably adjusted to tit within and be held inplace by cleats or other devices on said doors. in a line with h e endsof box I I is a hook contrived to hold both doors at once. Any devicefor fastening will answer, so that it will hold both doors, and, whenreleased, will let the doors G G and the end pieces H H fall apart atthe same time. J is a platform or follower fitting the inside of saidbox F and made to bear upward the material placed therein to be pressed.K is a platform or follower, against which the material is pressed,placed directly over the doors G G and the box F, and so placed upon itssupports as to be easily moved aside from said position. Both followers,J and K, have their inner surfaces scored with channels crosswise, ofproper depth and at proper distances from each other, to admit ofpassing the fastcningbands over and under the bale while the same isheld between the followers. L L are timbers fixed upon standards D D DD, against which the follower K bears and upon which are placed thesupports that sustain said follower and the ways upon which it slides. MM are cross-pieces, also fixed upon said standards, placed over andacross said timbers L L, and held in place upon said standards by anysuitable means, such as N N, which are nuts securing said cross-beamsM Hupon said standards and resisting the upward pressure when the operationof pressing is in progress, said timbers L L and M M being made, likethe frame E E, so as to be placed at any point on said standards andthere held. 0 is an upright piston-bar or standard inserted and fastenedat its upper end in the center of the head-block Q and extendingperpendicularly downward through the center of the pinion-wheel R, thelarge wheel S, and the bed A, into a well or space below, if the extentof the motion of the pressing apparatus requires such a provision. Inthis kind of press one of the difficulties to provide against is theliability of the follower J to lose its exact horizontal position andthus bind and pinch when being forced upward. My piston-bar is intendedto prevent this, and it should be made of iron and of such dimensionsand so inserted and fastened in the head-block that it will hold itfirmly and stiffly in its horizontal position, in case either of thelevers should break or become inoperative. By its use I am able todispense with all friction-rollers or other kindred devices usuallyemployed upon the follower to prevent its binding. The piston-bar isfastened into the head-block by a pin or other suitable means. P P arethe levers in their position, operating like togglebars. They should beof wood and of such dimensions and strength as to suit the work requiredto be done. The upper ends of the levers are shod with hinge-pieces a a,and the lower ends with heel-pieces b b made of metal and fitted in formto their respective positions hereinafter described, and each extendingover the ends and some distance on the under part and two sides of thelevers, to give support and strength. Q is the head-block, fastened atthe center of the underside of the platform J, against which thepressure is applied by means of the levers P P. This should be of goodmetal, and is best made in one casting. Through the center is a hole toreceive the end of the piston-bar 0. At each side of the center, and farenough to secure the requisite strength, are made sockets in which theupper hinge-pieces ot' the levers work. Their sides are in right lines,but the bottoms are made in the segments of a circle and admit the freesweep of the levers in a perpendicular plane. This form of socket andhinge-piece makes a firm working joint.

R is a pinion-wheel on a hollow axle or journal, 0, which extendsdownward and forms the journal of the large spur-wheel S. Through thecenter of both of these the piston-bar 0 passes. This pinion gears intothe racks T T, and carries them in opposite directions when it is set inmotion. Its dimensions must be proportioned to the width of the bed andthe power to be exerted. S is a large gear-wheel, to which the power isapplied in any convenient manner. As illustrated by my model anddrawing, the power is applied by means of a pinionwvlneel, d, and anupright shaft, 0, and a set of bevel-gears, ff, and a crank-shaft, g;but the power may be applied to wheel S in any manner; and, indeed, asthe purpose is to move the racks T T by means of pinion B, it is whollyunimportant how that pinion is set in motion. In place of wheel S awindlass or capstan may be constructed that shall move said pinion, orit may be driven in any other convenient manner. T T are two racks, intowhich pinion R gears. They are of metal, and made fast upon timbers togive them sufficient strength and stiffness, and at the same time keepthem light. The racks are moved along upon each side of the bed A bymeans of pinion-wheel R. Ways should be prepared for the racks to movein, or said bed should be so constructed that they may be unimpeded intheir passage backward and forward.

These racks with their timbers are kept in place in their lines ofmotion by the guidestrap or block it bolted to the bed A and the rollersMM. U is a shoe bolted onto the inner side of each of these racks andtimbers at opposite ends, which projects over the center line of thebed, and rests upon the wheel j. This may be made to rest upon two oreven more wheels, according to the use required of it. The upper side.ofthis shoe is made like a section of a box without the top and one end,or in any other form that conveniently admits the foot of one of thelevers P to be stepped into and then held while the pressing is inprogress. These shoes must each project so far inward and over themiddle line of the bed that the levers P P, when stepped into them,shall be in a line with each other and with the piston-bar O, and thatsaid levers shall exert their force in one perpendicular plane. V is abar or way extending along the center line of the bed A, save where itis interrupted by the pinion It. This is formed for the wheels j j torun in, and must be capable of bearing the pressure of the levers, andso constructed as to guide the wheels j j as they are drawn along by themovements of the racks T T. As I have shown this in my model it is agrooved bar; but the form is not important, so it be capable of bearingthe pressure of the levers and guiding the wheels. WV is a bale ofcotton as compressed and tied. a a. are metal hingepieces placed on theinner sides and upper ends of the levers P P, rounded at the ends, so asto fit and work in the sockets before named in the head-block Q. b b aremetal heel-pieces fixed upon the inner sides and lower ends of levers Pl, and adapted substantially in form to the places in the shoes U, inwhich they are to be stepped, and by which they are held, as, in theprogress of pressing, these ends of the levers are drawn together. 0 isthe hollow axle or arbor, bearing the large and small pinion-wheels Sand It, and through whichthe piston-barO passes. dis a smallpinion-wheel, by which, in my model and drawing, the power iscommunicated to the large wheel S from an upright shaft. 6 is saidupright shaft, which, on its upper end, bears and is moved by one of aset of bevel-gears. ff are said gears, one of which is fixed upon andbears the upright shaft e, and the other is fixed upon and carried bythe horizontal shaft g. g is a horizontal crank-shaft fixed upon theframe E, by which motion is given to the mechanism. his a strop or blockbolted on each end to the bed A at the center, and passing over thesame, and over the racks T T. Through the middle of this the piston-bar0 passes. In this, on the top and the ends each side of the said shaft,and directly over and at the outside of each of said racks, are fixed,upon axles in said strap, friction-wheels it 'i 1', which guide saidracks and keep them in direct lines upon said bed, and parallel with thecenter way, and in gear with said pinion-wheel R. j j are the Wheels orrollers bearing the shoes U U, and made to run in said center way or barV. k isa movable collar on the piston-bar or standard 0, which, fixedthereon at any point by a set-screw or other device, limits its descentby striking upon any resisting object fixed above the bed A. I prefer toreceive it upon a spiral spring around said piston-bar, and resting atits lower end upon the strap h. l is that spiral spring. m m m m aremovable collars on the upright standards D, which are fixed thereon byset-screws or other means at any point. Upon and against these the frameE is supported and held in position, and may be raised or lowered atwill to accommodate the work required. a n are metal or wooden strapsfastened upon the upper timbers L L, and projecting inward, so as toform ledges or ways, on which the upper follower or platform is borne asit is moved to and from its position over the receiving-box. Thesestraps may be provided with rollers to relieve friction, or otherdevices for that purpose may be placed upon said follower. The means areunimportant, so that the follower be made easily to move to and fro atthe will of the operator. 0 0 are blocks fastened upon the follower K,so constructed as to form on each end grooves that embrace both sides ofthe straps n n, the lower shoulders bearing against the under side ofsaid straps and of the timbers L L, and bearing the upward pressure uponsaid follower; and the upper shoulder resting upon the upper side ofsaid straps and supporting the weight of said follower.

Mode of Operation.

When the apparatus is in position, and the material placed in thereceiving-box ready to be pressed, and the crank-shaft set in motion, orin any way the pinion-wheel R is moved in the right direction, the racksT T are drawn in opposite directions, so as to bring shoes U U along thecenter-bar or way, and toward the middle of the bed and the piston baror standard 0. The levers P P, being in placeto wit, their upper endshinged in the sockets of the head-block Q, and their lower ends steppedin the shoes U Uare borne thereby in a right line toward saidpiston-bar, while their upper ends are borne upward against and carryingthe head-block Q, the levers all the time maintaining the sameperpendicular plane with each other and piston-bar O. The head-block Qcarries the follower J, which, moving in the box F, presses the materialcontained therein upward against the upper follower K, and into theupper section of said box, formed, as before named, by the doors G G andthe end pieces H H. When the compression is efl'ected, doors G G areopened, and the bale tied or bound by passing the binding-straps throughthe channels heretofore described in the upper and lower followers, andfastened in the usual manner. \Vhen the bale is thus completed the lowerfollower is lowered by reversing the motion of the wheels and rackssutlieiently to relieve the pressure against the upper follower, whichis then moved on its ways from over the receiving-box, the bale removed,and the apparatus is ready, when the lower follower is lowered until thecollar K strikes upon the spiral spring I to receive the materials foranother bale.

I contemplate the use of pairs of levers of different lengths in mypress, it the raising or loweringthe apparatus on the standards makes achange desirable.

Claims.

I claim as my invention in a press- 1. The combination of the rollers ortrucks jj with the shoes U U attached to the racks plane perpendicularto the bed A and the follower J, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a press, of the piston-bar O with the adjustablecollar K, as and for the purposes described.

4. The combination of the receiving-box of the press with the standardsD and the adjustable sliding collars m for retaining the box and itscontents at any height on said standards, substantially as shown anddescribed.

5. The frame of the receiving-box F, constructed substantially as shown,so that it may be raised or lowered on the standards D, or whollyremoved therefrom, as described.

6. The combination of the follower J and platen K with the timbers L andM, constructed substantially as described, so that they may be used withor without the receiving-box and frame, as set forth.

7. The combination of the doors G, the standards D, and collars m,constructed and arranged substantially as shown, so that said doors maybe raised or lowered and fixed at any desired point upon said standards,as herein described.

8. The press, herein described, consisting of the wheel R, racks T T,shoes U U, way V, standards D, piston-bar ,O, follower J, movable platenK, and the adjustable frame and receiving-box, combined, substantiallyas and for the purposes described.

CHAS. H. SOHNELLE.

Witnesses:

WM. ASPINWALL, \VILLIAM STANDISH.

